Mercedes Loses Big In Consumer Reports’ Latest Reliability Rankings

The latest Consumer Reports automaker reliability rankings are out, and right down in second-to-last place sits one of the world’s most prestigious automakers: Mercedes-Benz. For everyone who lived through Y2K, this whole scenario will feel eerily familiar. For everyone else, this could signal a second slump for the illustrious brand.

Now, it’s easy to take reliability reports with a grain of salt, but Consumer Reports‘ are better than most. They’re based on historical data from hundreds of thousands of vehicle owners, and the organization has admirably transparent and strong policies around editorial independence. To many consumers, the publication’s advice has been gospel.

As Consumer Reports claims, “Every single Mercedes model is predicted to be below or well-below average” in long-term reliability. The publication then zooms in on the GLE midsize SUV, stating that owners report “build quality issues with body hardware, noises and leaks, and electrical accessories.” Apparently the keyless entry system has been particularly troublesome, as that gets its own bullet point.

It should go without saying that if you’re paying for a luxury car, you’d expect superb build quality. However, many newer Mercedes-Benz models don’t make the greatest impression. Hell, for the past decade or so, creaks have been common. I’ve been in creaky C-Classes, creaky E-Classes, creaky GLEs, and creaky GLAs. Hell, here’s someone complaining about a dome light trim rattle on their brand new S-Class. That’s not the sort of thing you want to find on your six-figure sedan.

Oh, and this isn’t just a “European cars unreliable” thing. In this latest report, Porsche ranks as the eighth-most reliable marque, and BMW ranks as the ninth-most reliable marque. Mercedes-Benz? It’s down in 29th position, ahead of only Chrysler. It was only a decade ago that most BMWs were hideous maintenance nightmares, with N20 four-bangers that ate timing components, N63 V8s that ate everything, and the improved yet still occasionally problematic N55 inline-six in between. Now though? It seems like roles have swapped.

This isn’t the first time Mercedes-Benz has been accused of a quality slide. After Lexus introduced the incredible LS400, strategies at Mercedes-Benz changed immensely. The cost-no-object quality of the ’80s gave way to downgraded, cost-cut models in the late ’90s, and everything suffered. Materials were cheapened, strange quality issues such as ML320 seat dye transferring to occupants’ clothes were reported, and the golden reputation of the brand started to tarnish. It was a long road of design changes and material improvements to recover with models like the 2008 W221 S-Class.

Even with a reliability slump, other concerns cast a shadow over several Mercedes-Benz models. Looking to the future, it doesn’t help that none of Mercedes-Benz’s EVs seem obviously class-leading. The BMW i7 is a better electric flagship than the Mercedes-Benz EQS, the EQB isn’t competitive on pricing and range, the EQE just doesn’t feel as luxurious as a Genesis G80 Electrified, and the larger electric SUVs are up against some stiff competition. In addition, moving to a four-cylinder engine in the Mercedes-AMG C63 seems to strip that car of its chest-beating muscle tendencies, so we’ll have to see what that does to sales.

So, what can save Mercedes-Benz now? Well, the brand will just have to build better cars. It’s worked for Mercedes-Benz in the past, it’s working for Nissan, and it should work for just about every automaker on the planet. Greater attention to build quality is paramount because as electrification substantially improves the quietness and smoothness of regular cars, luxury will be all about how well a car’s screwed together.

(Photo credits: Mercedes-Benz)

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